While it’s possible your buddy’s comment is based on factual figures, it’s also often the case that beliefs of vehicle depreciation are built on inaccurate perceptions. So, to help separate some fact from fiction, here’s a random sampling of trade-in values taken from the latest TransUnion Auto Dealers’ Guide - that handy little book car dealers use to determine what they’ll offer on trade-in towards your next purchase.

The chart reflects value retention for a list of new 2017-model cars after one year. We wanted the exercise to include models which can still be bought new today, and besides, it’s in the first year that a vehicle’s value goes through its steepest decline. The general trend is for cars to drop between 20 and 25 percent of their value, which means they’re worth between 75 and 80 percent of their original price one year on.

There are some interesting exceptions though, with vehicles like Subaru’s XV and Jeep’s Grand Cherokee dropping by around a third in value, and others such as Porsche’s Boxster and VW’s Tiguan retaining almost 90% of their original price.

This list represents a random cross section of 2017 models, listing the new price, followed by the current trade-in value, and in brackets the percentage of the original prices they’ve retained.

Please note this is just a guide, and actual values can fluctuate according to mileage, condition, colour, options and regional popularity among other factors.